The Colour of Magic

Executive Summary: Started slow, but finished strong.Full ReviewI've been meaning to read Discworld for awhile. A good friend of mine loves the series and recommended it to me over 10 years ago, but I just never got around to it.He suggested I might be better off starting with [b:Guards! Guards! 64216 Guards! Guards! (Discworld, #8) Terry Pratchett https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1400992253s/64216.jpg 1128601] than this book. However between picking up the first few books on a sale, and my general need to read thing in publication order.My understanding is that while all the books are set in Discworld, there are several different sub-series with recurring characters. The [b:Guards! Guards! 64216 Guards! Guards! (Discworld, #8) Terry Pratchett https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1400992253s/64216.jpg 1128601] one is supposed to be a different set I guess. I don't pretend to know enough about it. I do know there are big complicated charts on the whole thing.I found this book a slow start. I was expecting things to be a lot funnier. I'm not sure if I just wasn't getting them, or they weren't as prevalent.It took me awhile to get through the story. I didn't really care too much for Rincewind or Twoflower. The luggage however was pretty amusing.It all changed for me in the last quarter or so though. I was really cracking up at some of the jokes and overall was reading at a much faster pace.All and all it's enough to get to try the next one at some point, which is good considering I already own it. Hopefully I work may way up to [b:Guards! Guards! 64216 Guards! Guards! (Discworld, #8) Terry Pratchett https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1400992253s/64216.jpg 1128601] to see if I like that more.

For about 25 years I've had several friends of mine tell me how much they love the Discworld series and how I must read the books. I am now the “weirdo” among them (and perhaps to you, as well) who did not find the first book in the series to be so great that I must coax all my friends to read it.

I've read other books by Pratchett, but this one threw me off, in it's content (an unbelievably huge cast of characters for a 214 page story) and style of writing (more of a collection of scenes barely connected, for the most part). I'm still going to read the next book in the series to try and give it a fair chance, but if my interest isn't increased by the end of that book, I'll probably give up. I truly hope they get better.

The Colour of Magic is to Fantasy what The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is to Science Fiction (theoretically). In actuality, this book is not at all good. Similar to Hitchhiker's Guide, if you do not enjoy the humour, then it can be an extremely unpleasant experience. I laughed once on the first page. What's even worse is that I saw the film beforehand.

It was amusing enough–chuckle-inducing in more than one place–but I never connected with it, not the story, not the characters, not the world. Left me pretty durn blah.

probably just me, eh?

The Big Bang theory. chuckle I read some of the Discworld books, years ago. I remember liking them, but don't really remember them. I begin the journey anew, then, and with the greatest of eagerness. The only reason The Colour of Magic gets three stars is because I'm certain that there are four- and five-star books in the series.

My husband loves Terry Pratchett, so he suggested that I read some of his books, starting with the Discworld series. He warned me before I started reading that The Color of Magic was probably the roughest of the series, and having read it, I would have to agree. At least twice I started reading, got maybe a third of the way through the book, and lost interest, only to restart it a few weeks later. Finally I forced myself past the point I was losing interest in, because I hate abandoning books. It's not to say I didn't like the book - I thought the wordplay was funny, and the differences between magic in the Discworld and magic in just about any other series was very interesting. I even liked the interludes with the Gods and their game of dice. My main problems were the jumpy plotline, and some of the characterizations. From the little diversion to our plane of reality, to just dumping Rincewind & Twoflower at the Rimbow, I thought the jumps in plotline were rather jarring. Worst of all, though, is that while I found the characters interesting, I didn't really care about them. Twoflower and Rincewind are both ultimately protected by the Lady Luck, so whatever mess they end up in,we know they'll manage to bumble their way out. Since I've been told that The Color of Magic is the roughest of the series, I'm going to try and make it through [b:The Light Fantastic 34506 The Light Fantastic (Discworld, #2) Terry Pratchett http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1168566177s/34506.jpg 592532] before I decide if I'll give up on the Discworld series.

I've heard really good things about this series (and some not so good). It sounds like the type of series I would like. But this first book DIDN'T GO ANYWHERE. I was a bunch of aimless wondering. When I finished the book I wasn't even sure there was a climax. It really felt like the first 200 pages of a 800 page book. I'm going to give this series two more books to win me over (maybe four considering they are only about 200 pages).

It's always said that this isn't a good introduction to Discworld - I struggled with it the first time I read it and read the graphic novel of this and The Light Fantastic first - and I still agree, but this was more enjoyable than I expected or remembered. Its too much almost making fun of Fantasy and not enough of what Pratchett would settle into, but it's really fun and a good introduction to Rincewind. I'm glad I finally decided to reread these.

Questo Libro, proprio con la “L” maiuscola, è stata una di quelle piacevoli sorprese che capitano molto di rado.

Quello che più mi ha meravigliosamente conquistato di questo romanzo è il “senso del meraviglioso”, quello che a volte si può trovare anche nella fantascienza; quel senso del “stupire” il lettore ad ogni pagina, ad ogni riga e non voglio dimenticare certo quei sorrisi alla descrizione di certi personaggi, all'evolversi degli accadimenti.

Un Libro dove puoi lasciarti andare alla più pura e scatenata fantasia, proprio come l'autore fa nel descrivere questo Fantastico Mondo Disco che sta in piedi sorretto da quattro elefanti che a loro volta stanno poggiati su una tartaruga gigantesca che veleggia per gli spazi siderali.

Indimenticabili i personaggi principali “Scuotivento” (un mago che non ha neanche finito gli studi) e “Duefiori” (che con quel sguardo da turista prende tutto alla leggera come una passeggiata infinita senza preoccupazioni), una sorta di duo comico trasportato nel mondo del fantasy insieme a draghi, eroi (pieni di sè e che adorano gli “autoritratti”, magia, demoni, spade che parlano (e quanto sono pedanti) e la Morte (che a volte è così indaffarata da mandare un delegato a reclamarti).

Insomma un insieme infinito di colori e profumi per un libro magico, un elaborata storia che speriamo non abbia mai fine come il girovagare della tartaruga gigante...

Consigliatissimo.

Found an audiobook narrated by Tony Robinson so couldn't resist

My Summer Vacation by debnance

This summer I traveled to Discworld,
a flat planet resting on the back
of four elephants that together
all rest on the back of a giant turtle.
My trip was led by the terribly inept
and fearful wizard, Rincewind, and his
companion, the eager tourist, Twoflower.
I've decided that I'm not returning home
just yet; apparently there are many more
trips available to this world of luggage
with feet and semi-transparent dragons
and small gods and clever dialogue and
I plan to climb aboard the next transport
(The Light Fantastic?) headed to the planet.